Letters to Juliet
by Briteflame14
Summary: Flash ThompsonxLaura Kinney Flash goes off to war against Hydra and leaves everything behind, including Laura. Includes their different lifestyles and a couple of the letters passed between them. It's further explained at the top of the story. Oneshot. Rated T just to be safe. Written in honor of war Veterans, Veterans Day 2014


**AN: Okay, before you start reading:**

**I rated this T (really K+, but T to be safe)**

**Yes, this is about Laura Kinney (X-23) and Flash Thompson (Agent Venom). I remember reading their team-up in the comics and immediately fell in love with the thought of them together. Plus, I rp (role play) as Laura on Instagram, and am currently dating an Agent Venom. So, sure, I ship them.**

**This idea popped into my head the week before Veterans Day 2014, so I was like "hey, why not?" It's alright if you don't ship them, but read anyways. Pretend it's someone else or whatever. **

**I created this because of Flash's history in the army, so its just ideas that popped up. **

**This does take place over four years. There are more letters exchanged, but I didn't find them necessary to write.**

**That's pretty much it…any questions or concerns, just ask!**

Thursday, October 16

He's done it. He's actually done it. He packed his bags and left; I can't say I'm angry about it. A part of me is actually glad he left. No, not an ounce of me hated him. In fact, I could never hate him. He went over to join the war in Afghanistan, to help out a little, to try and score some points for our side. His scent still lingers in the house, his voice still echoing in my head; sometimes, when I think too deeply about it, I sometimes see him. That being said, I see him all the time. There isn't a moment I don't think of him, not a moment I don't fear for his life. We have our similarities. Like me, he was a lab rat; that was how he became permanently glued to that infernal Symbiote. Although I hated it, I sort of miss its evil whispers, telling him to harm me; but that's what I admired about him the most. Despite all of the voices in his head that tell him one thing, he turns around and does what he feels is right. I'm trusting Venom to keep him alive. But then, there's where we have our differences. Unlike me, Flash is not immortal. Me...well, I can get nuked a thousand times and then get up and run a marathon. And that's were I begin to panic.

I know I know, a child raised in a lab, trained to show no mercy and little emotions panicking?! Good thing is, I'm not that child anymore. It's been nearly thirteen years, I think I've changed a whole lot. Yet, I just think, the slightest bomb, the smallest gunfire, and he could just...die. Even if the Symbiote protects him, it may as well just pierce through Venom and Flash at the same time.

Every morning I wake up, I dread for the shiny black Chrysler to pull up outside the house. I dread the men that knock on the door to bring the bad news. I dread for the bright red, white, and blue folded cloth that they would place in my hands, giving me their hollow condolences before getting in the car and driving away.

Some say I have insomnia. That isn't entirely true; I sleep, I really do. Just not at the designated times regular women go to sleep. A huge part of it is that I honestly can't sleep, that something big might happen and I'll miss it. But the other half sits up, wondering. Wondering if he'll be okay out there. Wondering if he wishes he were home with me. Wondering if he'll make it back alive. My heart reaches out for him, and sometimes I wish I could just open my arms and he'll be there, wrapping his arms around me. Those arms; his arms. The tensed muscular arms that push and pull things, that lift and carry, that hold me so close to him that he'd tremble. And God knows how much I've missed those arms. I miss everything about him: the deep rumble of his incredibly sexy voice, the deepness of those sky blue eyes, how he tossed his gorgeous blonde hair around.

Flash Thompson. I've tried to refrain from using his name unless it's absolutely necessary. The man bonded to the Symbiote; the man who only leaves for me. My lover, and mine alone. He loved-loves-me. I have to be careful, to make sure I don't use his name in any past tense type of way. That would symbolize that he's gone, which in fact he is not. Flash is far from gone, and like I said before, I dream he's here with me, with everybit of my soul. I wish he was here in this retched house, the prison he left me to take care of. And when I mean retched, I mean gorgeous.

The walls are a light egg-shell blue color, the floor boards a sparkling and smooth texture. I try to keep it as neat as possible; the first couple of weeks was a bit difficult because as you can see, I was never one for tidiness. I was on the brink of hiring a nanny to take care of the place when I remembered a few things.

1. Regular people don't like mutants. At least most of them don't. You can call me whatever you please, clone or not, I have the X-Gene in my system.

2. Regular people don't like clones with six razor sharp knives jutting from their hands and feet. Even if I kept them inside my body, my poor attitude would chase them away anyways.

3. I honestly don't want anybody inside of my house...his house...our house. The things inside of here are mine. His things are under my protection, and if you knew me well enough, it's impossible to get through to things on my watch. I'm not really comfortable with the fact of random people coming in here, touching his house, maybe even steal a few things. The thought sends me on edge, another reason why I decided to grow a pair and do my own work. Besides, Flash left them for me to take care of, not anybody else. It's in his will (at least I hope it is).

Suddenly, I wish I didn't have to be alone. Never once had the thought crossed my mind to find another man; why should I? He's coming back, so I don't see the need to do so. But at the same time, I wonder if he thinks the same way, that he wished he didn't have to be alone. Heh, how dumb is that? Flash has been to the army before, it's nothing new. He's easy to warm up to; most of the time anyways.

I want to talk to him. I can't just send a letter over. Well, I can, but it won't be easy. I wouldn't even know what to say. I might as well get as far as the date, and that's it. I've only gotten one letter from him one month ago.

[_Laura,_

_I understand if you hate me, but I've made my choice. I needed to protect you. I've seen the tensions rising, and the thought of an invasion in the homeland is too big of a risk. There is not a day that goes by where I don't think of you, how I left you._

_I don't have much time. We're heading out on a patrol in a bit and I need to be on high alert; we're in hostile territory. I'll write back soon, I promise. I'm sorry, I really am. I love you, Laura...please remember that._

_Flash_]

I hate reading it. Things like these keep me awake at night. They make me cry. He thinks I hate him. He goes to sleep every night with that hideous thought circling around in his head. Yet, his sole purpose is to protect the land I live in. To me, it makes absolutely no sense. I don't need to be protected; nobody can get close enough to touch me. But I guess over all, they do have those psychos with the mutant collars roaming around. If they were to gain the upper hand, then I can't afford to make a mistake. Still; I can defend myself, he had no reason to leave.

Then, I have to think about it. I'm being too selfish. It dawned on me for the first time that I'm not the only one who lives in this country. There are countless others who are depending on people like Flash to defend them. Part of me hates the idea. Flash is mine and mine alone. Nobody needs to depend on him, it would only add to his growing stress. But the other part of me delights in the fact of him protecting others. He's selfless, putting himself in the line of fire to protect people who don't even know he exists. But then again, he went off about six months ago with that in mind.

A knock at the door threw me back into reality. I looked down to see my fingers frozen to a mug, emptied long ago; what it was filled with, not even I can remember. The white sheet of paper sat in front of me, and I can't recall the last few minutes; how on earth did I end up reading it? The same heavy knock sounded against the door once again, encouraging me to get up. Reluctantly, I pried my fingers from the cup, lifting the paper with my fingertips.

"I'm coming!" I shouted. I folded it carefully and placed it back into the envelope, and tucked it inside of my sweater. Walking to the door, I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear before unlocking and opening the door.

I released the breath that I had been holding. It was only Logan, and I have to say, I'm happy to see him. It's not the shiny black car I always fear; instead it's his newest Harley. How I missed the roar of its engine pulling up outside of my house, I have no idea.

"Logan." I greeted gruffly, the female attitude of his own. "I have a doorbell so people like you don't break down the door."

"I've been ringing that doorbell o' yers for a few minutes. I needed another way to get yer attention."

"Alright, consider it gotten. What do you want?" I couldn't be sure if I was annoyed or not. I sounded like it, but at the same time I didn't exactly feel like it.

"Needed to talk to ya." He said simply, pushing my small figure aside and allowed himself in.

I let him; what else was I supposed to do? Besides, it had been a while since I'd spoken to someone. Even if Logan wasn't one for a big heartfelt speech, it was good to feel someone in the same room that I was in.

I shut the door, locking it back. "What is it?" I asked stepping into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, I pulled two bottles of beer from the door, tossing one to him. He caught it with one hand, pried it open, and had already taken a large gulp. "X-Force?"

"Nope."

"X-Men?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Weapon X?"

"You're getting colder." He muttered, hoping to steer me in the right direction.

I hissed inwardly, closing the door, sitting in the chair beside him. "Then what is it, dammit?!"

"Relax, doll. What, your old man can't come over for a chat?"

I felt my eyes involuntarily rolling. "You're not my father, you're my genetic donor. You're not one for talking, you usually leave people to solve their own issues."

Logan shrugged. "Same thing." He paused, taking another large sip from the bottle. "How are you holdin up?"

I let a painful chuckle escape me; not one of humor, one of misery and helplessness. "So that's what the mighty Wolverine came over to talk to me about. Jeez, Logan, didn't realize you cared so much."

He smacked me in the shoulder, something I'm positive he intended to be a light tap. "I care about you, so it counts."

How much more awkward could this get? I can't even get by without Logan noticing; next I bet Remy'll try to stop by. "I'm fine."

"Really?"

I nodded firmly, hiding the fact that I was indeed, not okay.

"So that explains why you missed practice yesterday?"

I froze. Whoops. That one slipped me. Lie. Think quickly, Laura, hurry, he's reading right through you. "I forgot. I went out to fix my bike." Pathetic...I cringe slightly, awaiting the coming lecture.

"You're bike must be pretty broken. You missed all of last week's meetings as well."

Damn...

"Uh...I forgot?"

"Laura..."

"Well nobody told me they changed the damn schedule!" I suddenly erupted, causing him to back up a bit. "I thought this week was cleared!"

"If you had gone to the meetings, you would have known."

I sighed, frustration building up. "So, that's why you're here? Not out of care, but because they sent you? They needed the Wolverine to go and check up on the little beast, in case she pried anyone else's head from their bodies if they tried!"

"No. They assumed you were hurting. I opted to go since you're more used to me. If Madrox or Summers went, they probably wouldn't have made it past the front door."

I contemplated this. "True..." He did have a point. "Alright, so you're here. I'm fine. Anything else you needed?"

"Well, for starters, you can stop lying."

Damn, he was good. I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing. "Fine, I'm not okay! But this is usual. If someone you loved like hell just got up and left for God knows how long, you wouldn't be okay either, would you now?"

He only stared, probably thinking about how much of a stupid girl I was, filling my head with pointless hopes. "No. I wouldn't."

"And the worst part is, I'm trapped, Logan. I'm stuck in this house, waiting and waiting. I can't leave; what if someone comes with news about Flash? Or even better, what if Flash himself came, and I'm not here to come home to?"

Logan sighed. "Look, kid. They have your contact information. If not you, they have that Parker kid's number too. If anything pops up, there's no way you'd be able to miss it."

"But Logan...what if he needs me and I'm not there?" I hope he couldn't tell how dumb I felt. I felt like a little child, lost and confused, unsure of what move to make next.

"You'll be there. Trust me. Laura, maybe you should go out, take your mind off of this. It's recking your emotions."

For some reason, something in that last sentence blew me off, and I could feel the tips of my ears burning. "What, it's because I'm a clone? It's because I was raised by Weapon X I'm not allowed to express my feelings?" I need therapy...

"I didn't say that." Logan said, eyeing me. "The fact that you have emotions through all that you've been through in your life is amazing. But because you're able to hold on to them, you need to maintain them. Control them."

That was also another great point he had, but I didn't feel like thinking much about it. I took a breath, trying to relax. The fact that I was so easily moved by the smallest of words showed I needed improvement. "Sorry." I muttered, turning my back to him. Walking towards the sink, I completely forgot about the letter I had stuffed inside of my sweater. I only remembered it when it fell and fluttered to the floor.

"What's that?" Logan asked as I bent down to pick it up.

"Nothing." I replied, checking it over again and again to make sure it wasn't damaged.

"Let me see." Without much care, he ripped the letter out of my hands, unfolding the envelope.

I nearly tore my hair out right there. "Logan, stop!" I practically shrieked, reaching forward to grab it. "Be careful, you'll rip it!"

He slowed, unfolding the paper much more carefully. Reading the letter, I'm sure he had looked it over more than five times before looking back to me. "How long ago did you get this?"

"About a month."

"You wrote back?"

I shook my head, crossing my arms. "I don't know what to say."

Logan shook his head, handing me back the papers, which I carefully took back and placed on the table. "Just say how you feel."

"And make him feel even worse? I'm not sure if you noticed, but he thinks I hate him. How am I supposed to respond to that?"

Logan gave me a glare, and like a lightbulb, a thought occurred. Wow...why hadn't I seen this before? Just reassure him, that's all. Tell him all is well, that you look forward to the day you'll see him again.

"Logan...you're a genius." I could tell by the look on his face that he had absolutely no idea what I was talking about, but he took credit for it nonetheless.

"Thanks...? Look, this is between you and him. Straighten whatever it is you need to straighten out, and then come back to the team. It's alright, we can wait,darlin, just take your time."

"Thank you, Logan."

"Anytime, doll. Keep in touch, alright?"

I nodded, and before I could stop myself, I leaned in for a hug, one he happily responded to. It was over all too soon though, and just like that, he was walking out the front door.

"Logan?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"I love you."

"Love ya too, Laura. Take care." He mounted his bike swiftly, putting the helmet on, and just as quickly as he had came, he went, leaving me to tend to my little prison once again.

January 23rd, 2011

[_Dear Flash,_

_I don't hate you, so get that thought out of your head. But, I do understand. Your job was calling you, and lately I've come to a sudden realization. You keep saying you're protecting me, when I'm not the one to be worrying about. It's everyone else. You're their guardian now, so I expect you to do your job. Don't worry about my safety. You and I both know I can protect myself better than the White House could. _

_I'm sorry this came to you so late. I couldn't find the right words to write down; but between you and me, I may have been a bit scared. I know, stupid, right? How hard could writing a bunch of words on paper be? _

_Your visit there sounds a bit much, so I promise I won't make this too long. Tell Venom I said hi. _

_Love, _

_Laura_]

I folded the paper back into the envelope and placed the letter in a tin box. You'd never understand how much relief flooded through me just reading that letter. Her brief and gruff sentences written in her compact (yet surprisingly neat) handwriting made me laugh out loud. Yup; that was Laura Kinney for ya. I'm positive no one else could have written anything remotely close to this letter. I feared for an entire month that she didn't understand why I left.

I put the box into my bag, but one of the soldiers stopped me. Private George Matthews. He shot an arm over and snatched the box from my hand, making every hair stand on end.

"Matthews, don't! Give that back!"

He had already opened it, but his amusement died away when he realized it was only one piece of paper. Staring at it, a new spark of mischief appeared in his eyes and he took the letter out and opened it.

I reached out to grab it again, but he only pulled away, turning his back to me and read it out loud. The tip of my boot met the back of his knees, and before he fell flat on his back, I managed to grab the letter from his hands. I smoothened out the edges and put it back in the box, stuffing it into my bag.

"Alright, alright, Thompson, damn." He pulled himself back to his feet.

"Didn't realize you had a lady friend back home."

"Nobody did." I replied, crossing my arms.

"Why didn't you say anything? Is she purdy?"

I couldn't help but laugh. In the past six months here, Matthews was pretty much the one I spoke to the most. He was a good man, my age, and a load of trouble.

"She's beautiful." I replied, thinking back. "Long black hair, big green eyes, high cheekbones, ginormous attitude; I miss putting up with it everyday." We both laughed, before I added, "but no, you can't have her."

"It was worth a shot. When do you get discharged?"

I sighed. That was the heaviest part. "About a year or two. You?"

"Same, about a year. It hurts, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. It does." And to be honest, it hurts a whole lot worse than I'm letting on. I won't be there for her when she turns 24. I won't be there to hold her when she needs me, to wake her from her nightmares when her dreams go wrong. It's just her.

And that's were I begin to feel guilty. I left her in that house. I left her behind. And now, we're not even on the same soil anymore, and all I have left of her is an old picture, a letter, and her voice bouncing around in my skull. It hurts so bad, I think even Venom has begun to miss her. He hasn't whispered something maniacal in my ear for a while, let alone anything at all. When I lost control of him, she usually would calm him down before getting to me.

Staring up at the sky, the sun was positioned a little off to the side, signs it was a little past noon. I should really go on a border patrol; we set up camp in hostile territory.

After collecting four other soldiers, we set out across the dry land. Of course, I led the group. If anything attacked from the front, I'd be able to hold it off. They allowed me to carry my usual equipment with me, but I wasn't allowed to wear the suit (much to Venom's dislike). On day patrols, I've got to wear the standard uniform. It made sense though; it isn't hard to spot a large man skipping around in a black suit with a giant white spider attached to his chest. My twin pistols were attached to both hips, and we carried on silently as we circled the camp borders. A branch snapped in front of us; they knew we were here.

Immediately, both pistols were in my hands, pointing in the direction the sound came from. It reminded me of a mission I went on with Laura.

We were both closing in on a Hydra base; it was originally her mission from X-Force, but I followed her out anyways. The base was in a cave by the water, all the way in Europe. A pebble had been kicked far ahead, and she had flung herself in that direction, claws extended. She successfully latched on to a Hydra worker, and we managed to take him down before heading in to the cave. We managed to blow it up, but other than that, I'd say it was a mission completed.

This is different. I was not in a cave, I was out in the open with four strangers to protect. I had Venom holed up in the back of my head, restricting him from using his power. I was uncomfortable being out in the open with so much exposure. I was not with Laura.

"Show yourself, or I will shoot!" I shouted, pulling myself back to my surroundings.

Nothing.

As a warning, I shot at the ground twice. "Now, or we will open fire!"

There was a shuffling sound, and I could hear my men gripping their riffles tighter.

Like fireworks, gunshots were heard, and bullets sprayed. I'm pretty sure they missed the soldiers behind me, because they returned fire, hitting the trees and bushes. After a few seconds the returning fire stopped.

"Hold your fire!" I barked, and my men stopped as well. My pistols aimed, I slowly walked over to the bush, ready to fire.

Two men lay dead, both bleeding heavily from wounds in the head and chest.

I sighed, tucking my weapons back into their holsters, motioning for the team to come forward. I bent down, turning one over onto his stomach. The emblem on the back of their jackets made me even more frustrated; more Hydra.

"Dead. Hydra." I muttered, standing straight again as the four soldiers stood behind me. "Is anyone injured?"

"No. We're good." One of the men answered for them.

I breathed a sigh of relief, before turning around. "We patrol the rest of the border, then go back. Hydra's coming closer."

Fortunately, we didn't come into anymore deathly encounters after that. I was debating whether I should tell Laura about this or not. Part of me wanted to, but the smarter side disagreed. This was confidential information. Besides, I don't want to scare her anymore than she already is.

I've already spoken to the General about Hydra. I have a bad feeling they're closing in on the camp, so we're moving base elsewhere.

Everyone is packing knapsacks, taking down and folding up tents. I bent beside my bag, checking to make sure I had everything. Checking inside of the tin box, I made sure that the letter and the picture were inside when I panicked; the necklace she gave me was gone.

Her favorite necklace, the black choker with the green circular gem hanging down from the middle of it; she had given it to me to hold on to, something to keep the memory of her fresh. She wore it every single day, on every single mission, and took it off only to sleep or shower. I searched the entire box before turning my bag inside out. Fortunately, there it was, stuck to the inside of a zipper. I carefully pulled it away, checking the jewelry over and over. No cracks in the pendant, no tears in the stiff fabric, everything would be okay. I was just getting ready to pick the box up once again, when a panicked scream came from the back. My head whipped around as I tried to search for the commotion.

"Grenade! Grenade!"

It happened so fast, I don't even think my brain has time to register the fact we were going to blow up. It was like a massive push, and I went flying. I hit the floor, my side beginning to burn in pain from the force of the impact.

I waited a few moments, assessing my body. No broken bones or fractures, no sprains. With a groan, I sat up, glancing around. Other soldiers were sprawled across the ground, some stirring, others getting up. I looked down at my legs; they were okay, which encouraged me further.

"Venom, you alright?" I asked.

No answer.

"Venom?"

_I am well, masssterrr. I jusssst need a minute too rebooot_.

"Thompson!" I heard a voice shout; I recognized it to be the General. "Thompson, where are you?!"

"I'm fine, sir!" I called back, rubbing my face. "Get to the others, I'll be fine!"

Pulling myself to my feet, I heard noisy footsteps. Turning, a whole group of men were marching towards us, riffles in hand. It took me a moment to understand. Where did these men come from? When did the General send for back up?

It suddenly dawned on me that they weren't wearing the U.S. Army uniforms. The pattern on their clothing were different somehow; the helmets were different. Only one of my pistols were still in the holster on my hip, but I could tell it was low on ammo; I used a bunch of it earlier on the border patrol. Looking around frantically, I found the other one only a few feet away. Firing several shots in their direction, I sprang towards the pistol, grasping it. It wasn't very full either, but it'll have to do. I fired, shot after shot, trying to give my men a head start. Grasping my bag by one of the straps, I slid behind a boulder just as fire was turned on me. I dug through it quickly, finding the box of ammo I always kept. I reloaded my pistols and peered back over the boulder. They were coming quickly. I slid the bag onto my back when I noticed something only a few feet away; the necklace. Dammit. I had seen the tin box in my bag and assumed it was in there. She'd kill me if I didn't bring that back home if these guys didn't beat her to it. Making a run for it, I shot from behind the boulder, grasping the necklace, and ran. I felt bullets hit the ground around my feet, but none that hit me.

"Venom...time to shine."

I felt it, and I loved it. The coolness of the Symbiote as it crawled over my skin and clothes, encasing me all together. It was like putting on a pair of familiar old gloves.

Of course, I continued to run, but if anything, I was shielded by Venom. I followed the soldiers as they ran, keeping up the rear of the group as we tried to disappear. I turned, shooting at the approaching army. I successfully managed to hit several of the men in front, causing a few behind to trip and fall. Hah, newbies. After a long run, we managed to halt at a small clearing, far from where we last were. Jeez, wouldn't Laura just love to hear about this one.

June 5th, 2011

[_Laura, _

_I haven't written back to you in a while. Don't worry, I'm not dead or stranded anywhere. We've had a bit of a grenade accident a while back, and it took a while to clear up the mess. I'm fine, so don't lose any sleep over it. _

_How are things over by you? How's Logan and the team? Does the old crow still hate me, even though I've gone off to fight for him?_

_Have you heard from Peter? I heard (before I left of course) that he went off to become a teacher back at Midtown High, my old high school. _

_You know I'm bored when I start asking about other people. To be honest, it isn't out of general curiosity that I'm asking questions about all these people. I could care less if Parker became a ballerina or if Logan suddenly began to love me. These people here are just too boring. All they talk about is battle strategies and how to shoot without killing; like, I know this stuff already! I'm a trained agent, it's in my codename! _

_Speaking of which, I went on a border patrol the other day. I'd say it went pretty well; you'd be happy to hear that Venom saved me from getting a back full of bullets. Nothing for you to lose sleep over once again, I just thought I'd tell you. _

_If you were really wondering, your necklace is okay. I managed to keep it from blowing up. By the time I come back, it'll be just the way you gave it to me, in mint condition, I promise. _

_Other than that, that's pretty much it. I have nothing interesting to report. Venom misses you, I think. He hasn't asked for anything in a long time, which I'm not sure is a good or bad thing. _

_So yeah. Write back as soon as you get this. I love you. _

_Flash_]

Reading this makes the ice over my heart thaw just a little. His optimism is hilarious, it's almost adorable. Grenade incidents, border patrols, bullets, Venom...and he sounds happy. I'd take that as a good thing. I specifically noticed the part where he spoke about my necklace. "When I come back..." He believes he'll come home to me someday, so I don't see why I shouldn't either.

I can tell by the scribbled letters that he was rushing, signs that there was something much bigger going on than the letter said. I won't pressure him though; if it's something he didn't mention, it's probably best if he told me in person.

I took a bit of Logan's advice. I stepped a couple of feet outside of the front door, which is good I would hope. But, I guess he's also been trying to keep me company. Being the great Wolverine isn't an easy task, and stopping by every other day to baby-sit your "kid" doesn't lighten the weight. I told him to stop, but he insists.

I've also reached out to a few buddies. Jubilee went back to China on another mission. Remy's on his honeymoon with Rogue in Paris. Julian...well, who the hell knows where that guy went anyways?

I should personally be proud of myself. Peter arranged to go out with me, as friends of course. He knows I'm still with Flash, even if it's a distance relationship, and I'm well aware that he's currently engaged to the red head-Mary-Beth I think her name is. We agreed it would be good for us both, since we were pretty close to Flash. Well, I'm positive I'm closer to him than any other being in this galaxy, but that's besides the point.

If only I had remembered the difficulties of making myself presentable to the public, I would not have agreed to go. Matching colors, pretty shoes, a perfect hair style, it was all too unnecessarily complicated for me. So I decided to go along with the old look; the look that I wore best; mama and her leather.

Black leather pants, black combat boots, a striped tank top and a leather jacket later, I was perfect. Hair thrown back behind my shoulders, I felt normal again; and I have to say, it felt good.

I stepped out the front white door, pausing for a second. No black car. No soldiers. No flag. I'm good. I locked the door behind me and stepped onto the sidewalk, walking around the corner. My bike riding skills are still good, an easy way to get me to the city. I pushed the key into the ignition, revving the engine. I strapped my helmet on; even though I didn't need it, officers crawl all over the city looking for people to ticket. Flipping the visor down over my eyes, I flipped the stand up and raced down the street.

It didn't take long. Disobeyed only a few laws of traffic and I was there in no time. Parking my bike only a few blocks away, I figured walking would give me time to think. The breeze against my frame only showed that winter was coming harder than expected, but I didn't mind.

I wanted this to be over with. I didn't know Peter that well; I don't even know why I'm agreeing to this. Like Logan, I'm not that much of a talkative person. I don't have anything to talk about, and the few things that I do, I prefer not to. Not to mention I'm sure he'll try to bring up the subject of Flash a few times.

Coming up the block, I spotted him. A tall man, brown hair, blue eyes, he was kind of hard to miss. Through his jacket, I could tell he worked out; the guy was practically trying to hide an elephant beneath his coat, his muscles were huge. Not as big as Flash's arms, but still pretty big. I pushed the thought away quickly, before I began to think about his arms. How I wish they held me. How they would squeeze me tight and hold me closer to him...

Stop it, Laura. Focus.

You'll write back to him when you got home, but for now, just focus on getting through the day.

Peter spotted me. A smile broke out across his face, and he waved at me, motioning for me to hurry up.

Normally I would have hissed and taken my sweet time. But because I didn't even want to be here, I quickened my pace until I reached him.

"Hey." He said, his words light and friendly. "How are you?"

I tried to return the same expression. I knew the 'how are you' wasn't exactly aimed at my well being, but I answered like it had been. "Hi, Peter. I'm fine. Things have been well...how are you?"

That was when I noticed the red-haired woman beside him. I couldn't exactly tell if it was natural or not, but I ignored it.

"Mary...Beth?" I asked, still unclear on her name.

"Jane." She corrected, extending her arm towards me. "Mary-Jane. You must be Laura."

I took her hand, shaking it firmly before pulling away. "The one and only. Chaperoning?" I decided her hair was natural. I couldn't smell any types of dye or ammonia, but I did catch a strong whiff of the Pantene she used in the shower.

She laughed, grabbing on to Peter's arm. "Kind of. I just came down from the office, so I decided to tag along. You don't mind, do you?"

I shook my head. "Not at all. You work at the Daily Bugle, right?"

"Yep. Mary-Jane Watson, reporting live from 14th Street." She said cheerfully, balling her hand into a fist and holding it inches from her mouth, pretending that it was a microphone.

"She gets into her reporter side a lot." Peter murmured. He looked down at his watch. "Alright, ladies...shall we grab something to eat?"

I won't exactly go into detail about what happened then. It was too much; a school teacher and a reporter, who's name I honestly can't remember anymore. I just knew the minute I got my chance, I left. I sat on my bike, my head rested against the back of the shield. There was no one to talk to. Logan wouldn't pick up, Jubilee's still in China, Remy isn't anywhere near his phone; my closer friends are all occupied, which meant something. If they were busy, than I should be too. Putting my helmet back on, I took off down the road again, swerving through traffic.

"Hey watch it, princess, you nearly hit my mirror!" An angry shout from a driver behind me sounded. Putting my right hand behind my back, I flipped one finger up and continued down the small spaces between the cars.

Flash probably would have laughed at me. Or with me, one or the other was just fine.

I missed this guy it nearly hurt. It's alright; he has about a year left. Mail from Afghanistan to New York has been slow; my last letter I wrote to him was nearly three months ago and I still haven't gotten anything back. It's alright, nothing to worry about. He'll live.

Turning down the corner, I slowed to a stop just outside the house, only to see the same familiar Harley Davidson once again. My heart sank to my stomach as I flipped the kickstand down and slid off of the seat, fastening my helmet to it.

"Logan...?" I said softly, although I couldn't see him. "Where are you?" His scent was a bit stale, signs that he had been here before.

My front door opened, and there he stood, looking as gruff as ever.

"Y'know this is the opposite. Im the one who's supposed to be inviting you into my house. Not you opening my door and letting me in to my house." I paused, saying that over to myself to make sure it made sense. "What the hell are you doing in my house anyways?"

"You weren't answering. Thought you were in trouble." He replied, and I pushed past him, locking the door behind me.

"I'm never in trouble that I can't handle." I replied, throwing my gloves on the table.

He eyed them before speaking up again. "Glad you're getting out of the house."

"Yeah. I just met with Peter and his girlfriend. If I ever tell you I'm going out with them again, please talk me out of it."

"That bad huh?" He chuckled softly, sitting down on the chair.

"I'm not really in to people who talk about normal work all the time. It was so awkward, just sitting there listening to these people. I've never actually sat down with a regular human. It was weird." It was true. All my life; mad scientists, genetic donors, symbiotic-bonded men, groups of mutants or other super-humans; never just a random normal human being.

"Eh, don't get very used to it. They find out what you are, they'll kick you right into next week." He muttered.

"Not if I get to them first." I paused. "Why are you here again?"

Logan sighed, gesturing to the chair in front of him. My heart skipped a beat, but I obeyed, sitting down in front of him.

"I got word from that boy of yours."

I'm pretty sure I paled, because his face took on a more cautious look, as if he was trying to pick his words carefully.

"Flash?"

He nodded.

"W...what did he say?" A wave of fear crashed over me and I could feel the edges of my vision blurring.

"Relax, relax, nothing bad. He's fine. The messenger who usually would have gotten it to you was blown to pieces a few weeks ago. Lucky thing is, I managed to get him to remember my info, so he sent it to me instead."

"Is he okay?! Are they hurt, are they stuck somewhere?!" I couldn't help myself.

"They're fine, doll. He says he's beginning a countdown. What, three more months?"

"93 days, but who's counting?" I said, slowly regaining my cool.

Logan smiled. "Outta girl." He said, clapping my shoulder. Reaching in to his jacket was a small white envelope, and he handed it to me; sure enough, it was exactly what Logan said. The man was blown sky high so they had to wait longer to send mail. Ouch.

All I could do now, was wait. Wait for the day he would knock on my door. Wait for the day I would be able to feel his arms around me. Wait for the day I could hold him tight, hold him against me without letting go. Wait for the day where I can sleep soundly, knowing he won't go again.

[_Logan,_

_We've been ambushed. Hydra's moving in closer than we thought, so we need back up. We can hold them off for now, but it won't stay the same for long if we don't get more reinforcements. Don't tell her this, though. She already has enough to worry about. _

_Tell her that the mail carrier had a fatal accident and our mail was put on hold. Tell her to start counting down the days until my return._

_I know I'm asking you to lie to your daughter, but you have to understand. If she finds out, her confidence will deplete entirely. _

_I'm not stupid, Logan. I know she hasn't left since I went away, it's in her nature. She's been raised like a dog; she's grown too comfortable around me, and now that I've left, she doesn't know what to do. I know the comparison seems a bit harsh, but you and I both know it's true. How long did you think you could hide the facts from me? I'm on the other side of the planet and I know what's happening. I know you're not worried about her physical health, but it's her mental state I'm worried about. I know she sits at the window waiting for someone to tell her I've been killed, Logan, I know. Push her; when was the last time she went out? When did she last go on a ride around the city on her motorcycle? When was her last mission? Logan please, just get her out of there, I beg of you. _

_I know you don't like me. I know you don't think I'm good enough, and you're right. I'll never be good enough for Laura. She's too perfect, too trained to break her cycle for a poor, stupid, mortal man like me. I can't even begin to tell you how horrible I feel. Don't worry, I'm beating you to the same words you're about to scold me with, but Logan: that girl you have is something else. She's more than a weapon, more than a tool, more than a regular girl, and I know that. _

_So do me a favor, and just do what I say. We both know the reality of it all; there's less than a 50% chance of me coming back alive. I want them to tell you, not her. You can break it down to her better than anyone else. You think those men care about me, about her feelings? They have a job; just get the name and address and repeat the same thing over, it doesn't mean anything to them. But you can let her down easily. _

_Please Logan, just go along with it. I'll keep you updated on my situations, and hopefully I'll be back. Just make sure she gets her necklace back, okay? _

_Thompson_]

November 5, 2014

I knocked on the door. My heart pounded violently in my chest, a bouquet of roses in my arms. I've waited for this day for so long, waited for the moment when I would be able to see her again.

The door swung open. My heart fluttered. Then stinging pain. It coursed through my left cheek, making me stumble back a bit, the red roses falling to my feet. It took me a moment to realize the dealer of such pain; Laura.

She stood in the doorway, tears streaming down her face, her eyes narrowed viciously.

"I told you never to come back here. Ever." She hissed, stepping on a fallen petal.

"Technically, bright eyes, this is my house." I murmured, rubbing my cheek. "Thought you'd be glad to see me."

"Why should I?" Her voice was sharp, the fierceness rolling off in waves. "You abandoned everything."

Behind her legs, a small child peered out, a boy, about three years old at least. His hair was a dirty blonde color; just like me. Only, his eyes were a piercing green, his face angled in a permanent scowl; I could tell when he grew up he'd be a total ladies man.

"Mommy?" The boy asked, pulling on her jeans.

"Go back inside. I'll be there in a moment." Laura said to the little boy.

My heart skipped a beat. "...mommy?"

"It's none of your business, seeing you weren't here for his birth."

"Well, it would have helped if you told me you were pregnant." I muttered, staring at him.

"Tommy; NOW."

The boy flinched, but obeyed, and trudged back into the house.

"You're not welcome here, Flash. The boy has no father because of you. I'm on my own, and my life is good." She leaned in her face close to mine, although she still had to look up to look at me. "I hate you." She sneered. Turning on her heel, she stalked back into the house, the door slamming shut with a loud "crack!"

Crack!

I shot up straight, sweating. My side burned and screamed in protest, but I ignored it. God, I hated those dreams. I would always go back; in one version, Logan opened the door; Laura had died during a mission. In another, she had lost her memory and thought me a stalker. This one wasn't any better than the others.

I imagined for so long that she would hate me. My original discharge date was about two years ago. We had both been planning big for my return, only for Hydra to spoil the fun. Now, the new /estimated/ date would be about another 3 months. Depends on how much we manage to weaken their force.

It's not easy being the only S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent in the entire country; when I had been sent away, I secretly hoped Fury had at least let another super-human come with me. Nope. Not one. Not even a half. Just me and the boys. And girls, but mostly boys.

"You alright?" Matthews asked, stopping right in front of me. The rest of the soldiers that had survived the last attack slept soundly in the caves beside me; only a few stood guard, occasionally patrolling the area.

"Yeah. Just a dream." I replied dismissively. We needed to get a move on, Hydra could be hiding in the bushes right outside. "Wake everyone. We'll leave in an hour."

"Yessir." He said playfully, saluting and marching off to shake the others awake.

I rubbed my face. Don't think about it right now. The months will fly by in seconds if you continue your task.

I took the extra hour to start writing an apology to Laura. I had written to Logan instead; the man had drilled his contact information into my head the week before I left. If Laura knew we were on the brink of an even bigger war with me at the front lines, she'd freak. Hell, she might as well get in a plane and fly over to fight the war for us.

Technically, it wasn't a bad idea. The fact of putting her in danger where her healing factor could be ripped out was an even worse idea.

[_Im sorry._

_We've had a bit of an accident. The mail carrier sort of...blew up. We had to check if the rest of the camp was surrounded by traps before we moved forward. _

_My apology isn't only for the late reply. It's for everything else. I know you were looking forward to it, trust me, so was I. But as long as we have the lower hand, I can't go back. Not without a fighting chance. _

_Please don't sit around on your butt all day waiting. Go out, go on patrol, go on a few missions. I'll still be here when you get back. Just go and make yourself part of the world again. _

_Again, I can't say much. A lot of the things I know can only be told in person. I promise; the months will feel like days. Just please don't give up okay?_]

That was about as far as I'd be able to go. Everyone was packed up and ready to move. I knew I couldn't write anymore, so I neatly folded the paper into an envelope and gave it to the general, who threw it in the mail bin.

"You've been putting a lot of mail through lately." He said, his arms crossed. "You're not telling anyone about this, right?"

I shook my head sharply. "No, sir." I paused, debating on telling him or not.

"You've got a lady friend back at home, don't you? That's why you've been so pissy since last week; you were expecting a discharge and you were denied."

I stood there, gaping. I quickly shut my mouth; Laura would have never approved of my reaction. "Yeah...that's correct, sir..."

"Well quit sittin' around and whinin' about it! Get up and go fight this war or else that little lady won't be expectin' anyone to come back, understand?!"

A flash (pun intended) of anger shot through me. Me? The last thing I've done was sit around and whine. All I've done was protect and serve, maybe even stopped a bomb or two from blowing someone sky high.

"I'm sorry sir, but what have you done? Besides screaming at your troops, running around, and barking orders at me, I honestly can't remember a time I actually saw you do something beneficial. Please, refresh my memory."

He stepped up to me, although he was a good eight inches shorter. "I'm sorry, was that a challenge, Agent?"

"No. Not at all."

Before he could reply, a shout was sounded from outside. Matthews peered in, looking for me. "Thompson! You're wanted outside!"

I gave a curt nod to the General before walking outside.

"What was that about?" He asked me, slowing enough so I could catch up.

"He tested me." I replied after a moment of hesitation. Tested was the perfect word. Nobody will /ever/ talk about my life like that.

I was so angry, so lost in thought, I nearly missed the upset winds billowing into me, when I realized what it was; a helicopter. Can't say I've seen one of those in a while. The giant white eagle insignia caught my eye and instant confusion shot through me.

Several remaining soldiers stood behind me, equally confused. A tall man, suited in a long leather trench coat stepped down, followed by a shapely agent that I knew all too well. Why were they even here?

"Director." I greeted as Fury and Hill stopped in front of me. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Nick smiled; that was new. Change of heart maybe? He put a hand on my shoulder, patting me. "Good boy. You've got manners."

I smiled. "Can't say I've learned any here." I paused. The soft murmurs of the soldiers behind me made me realize the importance of his visit. "Would you prefer somewhere less...populated to speak?"

"So eager to get to the point. What, I can't visit anymore?"

I shook my head. "No, no, that's not it. I'm just...I mean, I've gotta get these men moving. I'm sure you've heard of the ambush several days ago. I'm just sort of used to getting directly to the point."

His eyebrow shot up, and I suddenly wondered what I had said wrong. "Ambush? What ambush?"

I glanced back at the tired and battered men behind me. "Sir...? Hydra attacked our base about four days ago. They've been running us down for the past year." I glanced back at Matthews beside me. He shrugged.

"We've gotten no such word, except that you decided to move your base to different locations under pressurized circumstances." Maria filled in, her brown eyes narrowing.

Ice slid down my back and nerves. I slowly turned to Matthews, who was the only one who ran communications; the other two men had been killed in the last attack.

I could see it in his face as his expression immediately changed. Dammit.

My hand was already on the hilt of my pistol, but it was too late. Matthews' gun was already in his hand, faster than Fury or Hill could get theirs. Three rounds fired, the bullets flying towards me in slow motion.

Venom was faster.

Faster than Quicksilver himself, The Symbiote was plastered to my body. I felt the impact of the bullets hit my stomach and chest, but that was it. Nothing pierced through me, and I heard Venom hiss in rage as he swallowed the projectiles.

Only in the next second was he lying flat out on the ground, Maria's gun outstretched.

"Thompson, get that thing under control!" Fury shouted.

That was when I noticed I wasn't holding on to Venom like I usually do. I let him free, let him take my place. And for a moment, I have to admit, it felt good to actually let loose a little.

Fury could tell I wasn't holding on to it properly. When I don't, he sometimes reverts to his usual, or "classic" self. You know, with the tongue longer than the guy in Kiss, the crooked, razor sharp, jagged edged teeth, the size of the Symbiote in general; its different than the way he usually is. Laura knows; when the day doesn't go the way I had planned, the angrier I am, the more likely it is for Venom to lash out, and according to her, I have a horrible temper.

But there's a reason why I didn't hold on; I could see Hydra out of the corner of my eye.

I leaped in front of Fury and Hill, blocking a spray of bullets from raining down on them. It pressed into the soft flesh of the Symbiote instead, making Venom hiss with rage. He flew forward, wiping out the first few lines of soldiers.

Grenades blew, bullets struck; my few men were too tired for this. Too beaten up. The good thing about this all; I could handle it.

"Thompson...Thompson!"

My eyes flew open. I was unsteady and lost my balance, but strong hands pressed against my back and kept me up.

"You alright son?"

Fury stood beside me, staring me down. Even if he had one eye, it's glare was still pretty strong.

"Y-yeah...what happened?" I asked, confused.

"I'm pretty sure you just gave Afghanistan it's freedom again."

My eyes widened, and I looked around. Men lay in a large pile a little distance away, moaning, groaning, or silent.

"Me...?"

"Yeah. You gave time for their troops to regroup and rebuild their country. I'd give it a little more than a year before they start threatening us again." Maria said, a hand on her hip. "Nice job."

"Mission accomplished, agent." Fury said, smiling.

"But my job isn't over. It's only been four years, I can't go yet." I argued, much to my own surprise.

Fury and Maria exchanged a glance.

"I'm sorry...but don't you have a girl waiting for you at home? If my understanding is correct, you were due for a discharge about two years ago, which was quickly denied, you took all of your free time to write letters to your people, and now that it's over, you don't want to go back?"

Stupid, right?

"Sir, I want to help. Of course I want to go back, but these people need me."

"Young man, no one needs you right now. No one but her."

"Director..."

Before I could finish, he pulled a small tablet from his inner jacket pocket, showing me.

On the screen, was a picture of Laura.

I froze. As far as I was concerned, S.H.I.E.L.D. still had Laura under a bad profile. A murderer, a thief, a fugitive, a weapon of the state: her entire file was on that tablet. I had worked pretty hard to keep them from figuring out that Laura and I lived together, but it was useless. If Fury and Maria knew, then Laura was in trouble, assuming they hadn't gotten to her already.

"Now. You stay here, the closer my boys are to grabbing her and locking her up, like she should be."

"You leave her alone. She didn't ask to be what she was turned into. People who hunt her down don't understand."

"Let me finish." He snapped, scrolling through the list of information they gathered. "You go, I'll do what you've been plotting to do for the longest while. I'll erase her file, start a new one."

It hit me. Fury didn't want me to stay. "Sir...are you threatening me...with something good?"

"Your choice."

I stood there. For a long time. I couldn't decide what I should and shouldn't do.

"I'll take your silence as a yes." Fury said, hitting a small gray button on the bottom right corner. He entered a code and a retina scan, and the screen read "Process 100% completed. File: Laura Kinney, Weapon X-23 cleared." No going back now.

"Thank you, sir. It means a lot."

"No, Agent. Thank you."

And back to America I went.

December 3rd, 2014

When Logan hides things from me, I can tell. We are technically the same person. Technically. So when he decided to invite Remy over once he came back from his honey moon, I knew something was up. And the fact that Jubilee came knocking on my door the day after made me even more suspicious.

I hadn't gotten anymore letters back. Logan continued to visit me day after day, which stopped me from checking the mailbox. Yep; completely unsuspecting.

"Alright...I'm heading into the city. The silence in this house is a complete killer." I said. Logan had flipped the channel to the CNN, where he had been fixed on watching Anderson Cooper give the world bad news.

"Lemme go wit you, chere." Remy said, standing.

"I don't need a babysitter. Thanks though." I muttered, walking to the cabinet for my keys. "Don't break anything while I'm gone."

The three of them exchanged a glance, like they knew something I didn't.

"What?" I asked, putting a hand on my hip. "I can keep a secret."

"Nothing." Logan said, getting up. "I think we all deserve a little stretch outside."

I stared at him dryly. "I'm going out. I can take care of myself. You three stay here and discuss whatever the hell it is you're keeping from me. I don't care."

Forty minutes later, I have absolutely no idea how the four of us ended up walking the streets of Manhattan together. Of course, I was agitated. Trying to get time by myself, I couldn't do that with the Three Musketeers walking behind me. Maybe I needed a drink. Or a cigarette. Or a noose. I don't know, either way, I'll still come back.

I guess the real reason why I'm so pissed off is because I haven't heard anything. He keeps telling me about these ambushes; for the past four years too. Ambush after ambush; it's either he's hiding something as well, or something's wrong. I don't understand why I can't just get in a jet and fly over, but the X-Factor won't let me. Until further notice, I've been disabled from flying. It was a smart move; I wouldn't underestimate me either.

I continued walking, shivering as another icy December wind hit me face on. They continued to chatter behind my head, but their voices were softer than usual.

"I can still hear you. Super hearing, remember?"

Jubilee stopped, looking up at me. "We're not hiding anything, chika. Get less paranoid for once."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. So let me in on the convo then." I said, turning around to face them, stopping everyone. "What, so now that I get interested, everyone wants to play dumb now?"

"Hey princess, just because you're pissed doesn't mean all of New York needs to wait for you! Get outta the way!" A man said, pushing towards me. As he walked by, my favorite finger just happened to spring to life, following the man as he walked past me. He gave me a glare which I was happy to return, before he disappeared into the sea of people.

I could see Logan giving me a satisfied glance, although his signature scowl was plastered to his face.

I resumed like I had never been disturbed. "I know already, okay? I know Flash isn't coming back. I know his troop was slaughtered in another attack. I know you've been keeping me from checking my mail because I know there won't be anything from him there. I know he's gone, Logan, I /know/. So quit acting like he's still alive and his discharge date is coming up soon, because I already know. Just cut it out!" Yep; I was officially unwound. I could hear their whispers behind my head the entire ride here. I could tell by their suspicious act that there was no one to expect. Do you honestly think that I left the house out of coincidence? I left because I didn't want to deal with the men that would come and tell me the news up front. I know.

I could feel the tears filling up my eyes. I could feel the itchiness in my throat as I began to choke on my own feelings. I could feel the stares of the people passing by; how inappropriate it was for such a young lady to lose herself in public. If only they knew. If the felt my pain. They could never know, never.

Logan seemed to know exactly what I was thinking because his look suddenly grew alarmed; he could see the inner beast slowly fighting its way to the front.

Jubilee and Remy weren't even looking at me; rude, right? Here I am, spilling everything to them, and they don't even have the nerve to look at me. Whatever stupid things the regular humans were doing behind me seemed to interest them more.

I shook my head, forcing back the tears. "Whatever. I wanted to go alone for a reason. I knew it was a bad idea. You guys stay here, I'll go home." I mumbled, beginning to push past them.

Logan and Remy both stepped in front of me, blocking my path. Both of their gazes were now fixed behind me. Logan tried not to make it obvious, and looked down at me instead, Remy doing the same.

"What?!" I snapped bitterly, glaring up at them.

A scent caught me by surprise. I couldn't even comprehend it, my head wouldn't wrap around the idea instantly. Slowly, oh so slowly, I turned, my vision blurred slightly from tears. I didn't want to seem needy, in case my mind was wrong, which it obviously was. But I turned, until I faced the direction everyone else was looking in.

And my heart burst.

Tall and blonde, with blazing blue eyes and large arms, I saw him instantly. The scene around me began to turn hazy. Someone let out a type of wince; I wasn't sure if it was me or not. I stumbled, because both Logan and Remy grabbed my arms to keep me upright, because he was there. I know.

The lead in my shoes somehow lifted, and I felt myself stumble forward in his direction. Sometimes I lost sight of him in the sea of people, but every so often, they moved aside enough for me to see him, and for him to see me. I saw him, and at last, I knew it wasn't a trick.

His arms opened. I only prayed harder and harder, praying that this wasn't a dream. -Please- don't let this be a dream. But it wasn't. I could feel my heart thumping quickly against my rib cage, the sharp breeze blowing against my arms.

"C'mon, Laur. I'm here."

I felt like he was miles away, but who cares? I broke into a sprint, leaving Logan, Remy, and Jubilee behind. I had to reach him, even if it meant running across the deepest oceans. I had to get to him.

And suddenly, he was right in front of me, that same sexy smile across his face. Just a few more feet. Get there, Laura, now.

"C'mon baby, I'm here."

He took several strides towards me, and he was finally in my reach. I grabbed on to him, my arms wrapping around his neck. I didn't even need to jump; his hands immediately grasped the back of my knees, lifting me up and making my legs wrap around his waist.

I was so close to him. I didn't pay attention to the people who stopped to watch, the people who smiled and yelled their congratulations to us. I only payed attention to him, the fact that our bodies were so close, that his strong arms were finally around me to keep me next to him all the time.

His arms wrapped around my back, his face in my hair. I held him close, burying my head in his shoulder, and I wept. I cried, despite his soft mumbles, I held on to him for dear life; I feared that if I let go, I'd lose him all over again.

"Jeez. For a regenerating mutant, you're cold as hell. Don't you have like a personal body heater or something?" He asked, looking up at me.

I laughed, blinking through my tears. "It's below zero degrees, of course I'm cold. I choose to ignore it."

"Tough way to live." He let me down, his big hands holding onto my arms. "You miss me?"

"I'd be lying if I said no."

"Dammit, Laura, just say yes and make everyone's lives easier." His blue eyes were filled with amusement, his lips curved upwards in a smile.

"Yes. I missed you. Happy?" I spat at him, refusing to step away. He was here with me; it'd be a while before I actually let him go.

"Very. Your suffocating me y'know."

"I don't care. Just hold me."

He chuckled, kissing the top of my head, holding me tighter.

"You've been gone too long, Flash. I thought you were gone. I thought you forgot about me." I whispered, my ear against his chest.

"Forget about you?" He snorted. "I couldn't if I tried." He laughed. "I wouldn't dare forget about you."

"You'd better not. Remember, you left me in your house."

His lips brushed my ear, sending shivers down my spine. I missed this. I missed him.

"Flash..."

His breath brushed my neck. "Sorry." He whispered, looking down at me. "It's just been really tough. Sitting around without any orders from my boss." He said, gesturing to me.

"Good. I've already got an order for you, Agent."

"Oh yeah?" His voice was challenging, but his eyes were happy and light. "What's that, miss?"

"You owe someone a kiss."

"That I do."

He leaned his head down towards me, his breath on my lips. I met him halfway, fed up with his taunts, and pressed my mouth to his. He smiled against my lips, and pressed against me forcefully. I pressed back just as eagerly, feeling myself melt away the longer I stayed there.

I nearly missed the cheers and applauds from the people who stopped to watch us and that's saying something for a girl with super hearing. Old people, young adults, kids, teenagers, they all stopped to witness the soldier coming home. It was the first time I noticed Flash wearing the standard army uniform.

I pulled back when I realized I needed to breathe just as much as he did.

God I missed this man.

I stood there, waiting for her to actually notice me. It seemed like a good time to come back, too. I could just feel the bitterness rolling off of her tiny being all the way from here. I caught glimpses of her; still shorter than me, I can tell you that. Her sleek black hair grew longer, and nearly touched her lower back; the last time I saw her, it was by her shoulder blades. I could tell by the way she walked, she wasn't happy. Fortunately Logan and Remy caught sight of me first. I waved at them, but they only stared.

"C'mon, baby, look at me." I growled lowly, waiting for Laura to catch on.

At last, she spun, and I'm pretty sure those enhanced eyes caught a glimpse of me because she froze like she had lived in the Ice Age. And just like that, she darted forward. I stood several hundred yards from her, but it didn't matter; I knew she'd see me.

Some bystanders caught on to what was happening. An elderly woman gasped and clapped her hands together, telling her husband about how sweet this was.

She was there, darting closer and closer. I closed the distance, stepping forward just in time to catch her. My hands immediately flew to the backs of her legs to help her wrap them around my waist. Once secure, I wrapped my arms around her tiny frame because this was Laura; /my/ Laura. I waited years to come back to her, and I finally had her; we were finally safe. I had her, and I wasn't letting her go anytime soon.

I was also very happy to see that her quick wit hadn't changed much either. It might have grown a tad bit sharper, but never decreased.

And I was also very happy to have my lips pressed against hers. No matter what, I didn't let her go. My arms stayed fastened around her waist, my actions claiming her as mine.

"I love you." She breathed as she broke the kiss, her breath coming out in short gasps.

I wasn't finished though. Something about her kiss just drove me on. I cupped her face in my hands, kissing her cheek across to her ear, down to her jaw. I moved my face over and pulled her closer so I could smell her hair, kiss the base of her neck, bury my face in her shoulder. I just needed her.

I felt her fingers bury themselves into my blonde hair, pulling me in for another kiss. How I managed to live four years without her everyday, I have no idea.

I kissed her cheek, kissing each salty tear away. I ran my thumb over the wet trails on her face, wiping them away.

"Don't leave again." She whispered shakily.

"I'm not planning on it." I whispered back, kissing her forehead.

Logan's hand somehow ended up patting my shoulder, and I realized her friends had come to join her. "You've done good, kid." Logan said, a trace of a smile on his face. I tried to keep this as a valuable memory; the old guy hates my guts...and he smiled at me. I shouldn't push my luck too far though, since it's probably only a smile to make his kid feel better.

"Mon ami." The taller friend next to Logan greeted with a smile. I grinned back, reaching out to shake his hand. He had a tight grip, but he took my hand and shook it firmly.

The smaller girl just looked at me, blowing a bubble from the piece of gum in her mouth.

"Remy, Jubes, this is Flash. Flash, Remy and Jubilee." Laura greeted, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

I smiled. "Nice to meet you. You've been babysitting Laura then, huh?" I asked, a chuckle behind it.

"Actually, dat would be monsieur Logan. I just flew in from the Keyes and Jubes got back from China 'bout a week ago." Remy explained, crossing his arms against his chest.

"I can't really thank you then, Logan, since she technically is your kid." I said, rubbing Laura's arm.

"I don't need babysitting." Laura snapped, pressing against me. "I'm a grown ass woman, I was fine."

Yup. Her sharpness hasn't changed either.

So here I am; four years fighting for the ones I care about the most, I have finally returned.

I pressed another kiss to the side of Laura's head. The people around us began to shuffle on with their lives, leaving us to our own business once again.

I think the most important thing about it all is that I came back in one piece, my sanity was (hopefully) still in-tact, and I had the globe's hottest person wrapped around my body. She didn't give up on me; when I left, when I didn't reply, she believed I would come back. Whatever pushed her buttons today, I let slide; I can't blame her. I left her in that house, I left her by herself, and only she knows what happened. She snapped, but that was okay, because I came back. And unlike my dreams, she responded with kindness and understanding. This was my woman.

This was Laura Kinney. And she reassured me that everything would be okay.

"Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs;

Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes;

Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears.

What is it else? A madness most discreet,

A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.

Here's what love is: a smoke made out of lovers' sighs. When the smoke clears, love is a fire burning in your lover's eyes. If you frustrate love, you get an ocean made out of lovers' tears. What else is love? It's a wise form of madness. It's a sweet lozenge that you choke on."

-William Shakespeare; Romeo and Juliet

**AN: So there ya go! Tell me how I did, and thanks for reading! Tell me if you want me to continue this, maybe into another chapter that goes into more detail about Flash's experiences and how they continue their lives.**


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